Olive Oil for Cancer: What Emerging Research Says About Polyphenols

Olive Oil for Cancer: What Emerging Research Says About Polyphenols

Nearly 3.5 million people are living with it in the UK, and someone is diagnosed every 90 seconds.

There’s no single food that can prevent or cure cancer, but your diet plays a meaningful role in supporting your body. Especially when it comes to prevention, resilience during treatment, and long-term recovery.

Across the Mediterranean, cancer rates are noticeably lower than in the UK or the US. One of the most studied reasons for this difference? The Mediterranean diet, with extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) at its heart.

Disclaimer: This content is provided for educational purposes and is not a substitute for medical advice. Please consult a healthcare professional before making any dietary changes.

Nature’s Multi-Taskers: How Polyphenols Protect Your Cells

At SP360, we produce high-polyphenol EVOO that fits naturally into a food-first approach to long-term health – gently supporting your body’s cells where they need it most.

Polyphenols are natural plant compounds found in high-quality olive oil. They do more than one job and that’s exactly why researchers are studying them so closely. Polyphenols have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-mutagenic properties. Inside your body, they may:

  • Reduce oxidative damage to DNA – one of the first steps in tumour development
  • Interfere with how cancer cells grow, form blood vessels, and spread
  • Support your body’s detox and immune response systems
  • Selectively prompt damaged cells to die off – without harming healthy tissue

What the Research Says: The Preventative Potential of EVOO

There’s growing interest in how polyphenols in olive oil may help reduce the risk of various cancers. While the research is still evolving, scientists have already uncovered promising patterns – particularly when EVOO is consumed as part of a balanced, Mediterranean-style diet.

Olive oil’s polyphenols may help your body by:

  • Neutralising free radicals that damage DNA
  • Reducing chronic inflammation, which is a known cancer risk factor
  • Regulating healthy cell cycles and preventing uncontrolled growth

Olive oil doesn’t act alone – its synergy with foods like vegetables, legumes, and oily fish amplifies its effect. Together, they create a foundation for cellular health that may make a difference over the long term.

Breast Cancer: Supporting Treatment and Reducing Risk

Several observational studies and trials – including the widely referenced PREDIMED study – have linked high-EVOO diets with lower rates of breast cancer.

Polyphenols like oleuropein and oleocanthal show particular promise. They’ve been found to:

  • Disrupt tumour signalling pathways
  • Reduce the proliferation of cancer cells
  • Support hormone balance by modulating oestrogen signalling
  • Work alongside common therapies like tamoxifen to enhance their effect

Some studies have even suggested EVOO may help reduce breast density – a known risk factor in high-risk women.

Colorectal and Digestive Cancers: Gut-Level Protection

Your digestive tract plays a central role in immunity – and EVOO polyphenols appear to offer direct protection to this system.

Hydroxytyrosol and oleocanthal have been shown to:

  • Protect the cells lining your colon
  • Reduce inflammation in the gut
  • Support a healthy gut microbiota – which in turn helps regulate immune response and reduce cancer risk

EVOO compounds also block tumour-promoting signalling pathways like PI3K/Akt and NF-κB. And once your gut microbiota begins breaking down these polyphenols, they create further protective metabolites – an added layer of natural defence.

Other Cancers: Expanding Frontiers

Researchers are also exploring EVOO’s role in helping to reduce the risk of other cancer types. Current findings suggest potential benefits for:

  • Liver, gastric, biliary tract, and head and neck cancers
  • Prostate, pancreatic, glioblastoma, leukaemia, and cervical cancers

The mechanisms are varied but interconnected:

  • Suppressing new blood vessel formation to tumours (angiogenesis)
  • Disrupting cancer cell metabolism
  • Enhancing the body’s natural ability to clear damaged cells through autophagy

Importantly, many of these polyphenols have shown synergistic effects when used alongside conventional treatments – increasing their effectiveness while reducing toxicity to healthy cells.

Not All Olive Oils Are Created Equal

Here’s something you may not know: polyphenol levels in olive oil can vary more than tenfold. Most supermarket EVOOs sit under 250 mg/kg – well below what research considers effective.

Studies like OLIVAUS show that only high-polyphenol EVOOs produced meaningful results. That’s why SP360 is different.

We deliver a lab-tested polyphenol level of 1,462 mg/kg – over 46% beyond the 1,000 mg/kg level often described as “medical grade.” 

Cold-extracted, early-harvested, and fully traceable, it’s produced with care on an award-winning family farm and packaged in refillable dark-glass to protect both the oil and the planet.

How to Use SP360 for Daily Cellular Support

To get the most from high-antioxidant olive oil, consistency matters. Start small – and stay steady.

  • Take 1-2 tablespoons daily, ideally with meals to aid absorption and support stable blood sugar
  • Use raw: drizzle over roasted vegetables, soups, grains, or enjoy it straight by the spoon
  • Think long term – cellular support isn’t an overnight fix. It happens gradually, over weeks and months

Small Dose, Big Defence

Olive oil isn’t a cure and it isn’t a quick fix. But it is one of the most researched, accessible, and natural tools for supporting your health at the cellular level.

When you choose SP360, you’re not just choosing olive oil. You’re choosing a daily act of care – for your body, your future, and your wellbeing.

Subscribe today or explore SP360 to make high-antioxidant EVOO part of your personal wellness strategy.

 

 

Sources

(1) Macmillan Cancer Support (2024). Cancer statistics fact sheet. [online] www.macmillan.org.uk. Available at: https://www.macmillan.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/research/cancer-statistics-fact-sheet.

(2) Borzì, A., Biondi, A., Basile, F., Luca, S., Vicari, E. and Vacante, M. (2018). Olive Oil Effects on Colorectal Cancer. Nutrients, [online] 11(1), p.32. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11010032. 

(3) Schwingshackl, L., Schwedhelm, C., Galbete, C. and Hoffmann, G. (2017). Adherence to Mediterranean Diet and Risk of Cancer: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients, 9(10), p.1063. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9101063. 

(4) Emma, M.R., Augello, G., Di Stefano, V., Azzolina, A., Giannitrapani, L., Montalto, G., Cervello, M. and Cusimano, A. (2021). Potential Uses of Olive Oil Secoiridoids for the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer: A Narrative Review of Preclinical Studies. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, [online] 22(3), p.1234. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22031234. 

(5) Sealy, N., Hankinson, S.E. and Houghton, S.C. (2020). Olive oil and risk of breast cancer: a systematic review and dose–response meta-analysis of observational studies. British Journal of Nutrition, 125(10), pp.1148-1156. doi:https://doi.org/10.1017/s0007114520003499. 

(6) Moral, R. and Escrich, E. (2022). Influence of Olive Oil and Its Components on Breast Cancer: Molecular Mechanisms. Molecules, 27(2), p.477. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27020477.  

(7) Sain, A., Sahu, S. and Naskar, D. (2021). Potential of olive oil and its phenolic compounds as therapeutic intervention against colorectal cancer: a comprehensive review. British Journal of Nutrition, pp.1–17. doi:https://doi.org/10.1017/s0007114521002919.

(8) Ana Dácil Marrero, Quesada, A.R., Martínez-Poveda, B. and Miguel Ángel Medina (2024). Anti-Cancer, Anti-Angiogenic, and Anti-Atherogenic Potential of Key Phenolic Compounds from Virgin Olive Oil. Nutrients, 16(9), pp.1283–1283. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16091283. 

(9) Farràs, M., Almanza-Aguilera, E., Hernáez, Á., Agustí, N., Julve, J., Fitó, M. and Castañer, O. (2020). Beneficial effects of olive oil and Mediterranean diet on cancer physio-pathology and incidence. Seminars in Cancer Biology, [online] 73. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semcancer.2020.11.011. 

(10) Antoniou, C. and Hull, J. (2021). The Anti-cancer Effect of Olea europaea L. Products: a Review. Current Nutrition Reports, 10(1), pp.99–124. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s13668-021-00350-8. 

(11) Rishmawi, S., Haddad, F., Dokmak, G. and Karaman, R. (2022). A Comprehensive Review on the Anti-Cancer Effects of Oleuropein. Life, 12(8), p.1140. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/life12081140.

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